At the meeting of Cornwall IFCA on Friday 12 June 2026, the Octopus Potting (Vessel Specification) Emergency Byelaw 2026 was made.
Click here to view a copy of the byelaw.
From 1 July 2026 a person must not use a vessel in the Cornwall IFCA district to fish for octopus using a pot, where:
(a) the overall length of a mono-hull vessel exceeds 12 metres; or
(b) the overall length of a multi-hull vessel exceeds 10 metres .
Cornwall IFCA will now consider whether it is necessary for the provisions of the emergency byelaw to become permanently adopted and if alternative or additional measures are necessary to appropriately manage inshore potting effort for octopus. Any proposed new or amended byelaw and details of the required consultations will be published by the Authority via its public meetings papers and on this website.
Thanks to everyone who voluntarily provided us with octopus catch data and responded to our informal consultation on the emergency byelaw.
The Authority members have decided that the potential risk to inshore crab and lobster stocks from increasing numbers of pots used to target octopus was too great and have therefore taken the decision to implement the emergency byelaw. The byelaw is expected to reduce fishing pressure on inshore crab and lobster stocks and thereby assist hundreds of our fishermen to maintain viable fishing businesses.